After a lot of research, you have decided you want to volunteer abroad. You’ve picked a location and a program – now all you have to do is get there. While your first option to fund your trip might not necessarily be fundraising, you should definitely consider it! A great way to fundraise for your volunteer abroad experience is to start a campaign on FundMyTravel. FundMyTravel is an easy platform for you to use and place for donors to contribute financially to support your trip.

Fundraising is an important part of your volunteer journey – here are three reasons why you should do it!

1. Donate Money to Your Volunteer Project

One reason you should raise money for your meaningful travel experience is to help your project onsite! Whether you are volunteering at an orphanage in Ghana, teaching English in China, or becoming a nursing volunteer in Guatemala, by raising money for your project you will be able to contribute more than just your time. On FundMyTravel, multiple campaigners have asked people to donate money so the volunteer can help their program in one way or another. For example, Ailish McGovern raised money for her trip personally but asked people to donate money so she could buy more resources for the care center. Fundraising is a great way to help your program, before you even get there!

2. Spread the Word About Your Cause

Another great reason to fundraise is to help get the word out about your cause! By creating an online campaign you will be able to tell people about your volunteer project and why you want to make a difference. Additionally, people who might not be able to donate their time may want to donate money towards your purpose if they share the same values. This is a great way for people to pay it forward – by donating, your network of friends and family will be helping your cause. What a great way to get the word out about your volunteer project, through creating an online campaign!

3. Keep Your Commitment to Your Program

By fundraising for your campaign, you will make sure you can keep your commitment to your volunteer placement. Cost is the number one barrier to people going abroad, but if you can fundraise for your experience you can make sure to accomplish your goal. Many international volunteer projects rely on volunteers, and when someone signs up and then has to cancel, it impacts their operations. You never know who would help support your dream of volunteering internationally until you ask – why not try? In the end, you volunteering abroad helps your program and your cause immensely; without volunteers like yourself, volunteer programs wouldn’t be able to make the difference in the world that they do! So help yourself help your cause by starting a fundraising campaign to raise money for your experience!

About the Author

Megan is a senior at Colorado State studying Marketing and Media Studies. Megan recently got back from studying abroad in Torino, Italy where she had the chance to travel to 10 countries and 28 cities. Megan loves a good book and gelato that is bigger than her head; however, her favorite thing is traveling and she can’t wait to see where her next adventure will take here. Megan is currently a FundMyTravel Marketing Intern with GoAbroad.com.